Atlanta, GA—February 4, 2021—Southface Institute joins planning consultant TSW today in congratulating the City of Chamblee, Georgia, on adopting the Chamblee Sustainability Plan. The city anticipates this plan will help it achieve Platinum status within the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Green Communities Program. This designation would place Chamblee in the top five percent of sustainable municipalities in the region and in the company of high-achieving Georgia cities like Decatur and Norcross.
The Sustainability Plan was developed jointly by Southface and lead TSW and outlines key steps to a sustainable future for Chamblee and its citizens in seven key areas: land use, transportation, materials management, energy, water, food and governance/outreach. It was created as part of Chamblee’s Comprehensive Development Planning process in which Kimley-Horn & Associates, Bleakly Advisory Group and Urban 3 also consulted.
Planning for Real-World Changes
Southface, a decades-long expert in sustainable city planning, worked with Chamblee to customize high-impact sustainability programs for the city’s unique challenges and opportunities, emphasizing real-world solutions that will flex with the changes every community experiences.
“Chamblee recognized their location at the top of two critically impacted watersheds and took on a substantial commitment to green infrastructure, therefore ensuring improved water quality and riparian habitat even as they continue to urbanize,” says Southface Project Manager for Sustainability Services, Austin Robinson.
Former Southface Senior Director Robert Reed, principal in charge of the project, agrees: “Chamblee is stepping up to the wide-ranging challenges of urban sustainability. Soon you will see various programs that decrease the city’s carbon footprint and increase urban agriculture.”
“The opportunity to help the City of Chamblee achieve its sustainability goals and lead the way in the region is one we deeply appreciate,” says Southface President Andrea Pinabell. “Every municipality we partner with helps ensure a more sustainable future for all of us and supports our efforts to achieve climate mitigation and resilience at the intersection of the built and natural environments.”
TSW’s Project Manager, Laura Richter, praises Chamblee’s staff: “In particular, Rebecca Keefer, the city’s sustainability manager, was great to work with and always pushing for a bigger environmental impact!”
Poised to Be an Area Leader in Sustainability Chamblee was already poised to become a regional leader in sustainability by adopting the One Chamblee Comprehensive Plan in 2019, which Southface also partnered on. The Sustainability Plan additionally suggests the city’s commitment to resource conservation, walkable communities and energy efficiency, all of which are essential to maintaining quality of life as the area’s economy continues to grow.
The recommended actions from both plans include supporting environmentally sensitive urban development, protecting valuable natural and cultural resources, improving recycling programs and encouraging sustainable policies, practices and programs within Chamblee’s government.
Community Engagement
Though aspects of the plan’s metrics are still being established, the public will be involved in developing a dashboard that graphically presents what the city is measuring. Its planned land-use metrics include creating 56 miles of sidewalks, 1.1 miles of light rail and 109 acres of green space. Chamblee recognizes citizen support is needed for long-term impact, so look for new committees and teams led by city staff to form as initiatives develop.
About TSW
TSW is an Atlanta-based, full-service planning, architecture, and landscape architecture firm with approximately 30 full-time employees. TSW works throughout the United States on a variety of projects, including downtown master plans, corridor studies, streetscape plans, coding and guidelines, mixed-use developments, and park and recreation projects. Our multidisciplinary approach goes beyond land use planning to incorporate real world knowledge of sustainability, development and retail economics, and feasibility. Implementation is a key focus of all TSW’s plans and redevelopment studies, and we are especially proud of our planning experience and implementation. For more information, visit tsw-design.com, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Southface Institute
Southface Institute, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, is leading the way toward a sustainable, equitable and healthy built environment for all. Since 1978, our programs have closed the gap between environmental awareness and action by promoting scalable resource efficiency and clean energy solutions for homes, workplaces and communities. Our practice of regenerative placemaking amplifies real-world strategies to create a built environment where the synergy between ecological and human needs supports both health and well-being while creating resilient, equitable and thriving communities, striving to achieve a low-carbon future. For more information, visit: www.southface.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Southface Institute Media Contact: Sarah Mundell 404.604.3654 smundell@southface.org
TWS Media Contact: Rebekah Calvert 404.372.7607 rcalvert@tsw-design.com
